


Antonio Will Make You Sweat!

by HoneyBadgerOverlord



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Body Image, Fluff, M/M, Self-Acceptance, Weight Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-16 19:07:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11259105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoneyBadgerOverlord/pseuds/HoneyBadgerOverlord
Summary: In which an adorable, chubby Lovino gets pursued by his gorgeous yet hopelessly stupid Zumba instructor.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this on Fanfiction a while back, and I decided I want to put it here too. Please enjoy!

“Please fratello, try one more class! For me?” Feliciano pleaded with his brother from the other end of the phone. 

“No!” Lovino snapped, “I am not going to any more of those stupid classes at the rec that you suggest to me. Spinning was boring, water aerobics was lame. I kind of liked kickboxing but I got banned from the class for no reason.” 

“…Lovi, you kicked some of the other students on purpose.”

“No reason!”

Feliciano sighed, “Please attend one more class. I’m just concerned about your weight because I love you.”

Lovino scowled as he looked down at himself. He poked a finger into his fleshy stomach, feeling how it jiggled a bit at his touch. Sure he could stand to lose a few pounds (or ten) but he never felt the need to. Even when people couldn’t believe that he and Feli were twins because one was so slim and pretty and the other was, well… definitely not slim. His expression deepened into an almost snarl. 

“Not everyone can look like a pretty little model like you, you know,” he hissed with venom. It was a natural reaction for him to take out his anger through rudeness but every time his brother was the poor victim he usually regretted it. Guilt hit him hard when he could hear the tears in Feliciano’s voice.

“N-no Lovino, it isn’t about how you look! I just don’t want you to get s-sick and l-leave me!” he wailed into the phone. “I love you so much and I don’t want you to leave me!”

“Shut up! Leave you? I’m not going to drop dead, you stupid idiot! If you’ll shut your whiny mouth I’ll take the damn class okay?”

“R-really?” he sniffed pathetically. Lovino rolled his eyes. 

“Yes really. So stop your damn crying. It’s annoying. What is the class anyways?” 

 

“Zumba? What the fuck is a ‘Zumba’?” Lovi muttered to himself. Whatever it was it sounded beyond stupid, but regardless of that there he was, wearing sweatpants and an old t-shirt, arriving at dance room three as was instructed by the woman at the front desk. Ugh. He just wanted to just go home, crash on the couch and watch hour upon hour of Netflix. 

Not to his surprise the room was filled with at least thirty females ranging from the age of college student to retiree. He got a few curious glances and bemused smirks from the women which he tried his best to ignore as he shuffled his way to the back of the room. A good five minutes of awkward standing passed. Frequently he checked the time on his smart phone. When was the stupid class supposed to start? As if some mighty god above was reading Lovi’s mind, a sudden voice interrupted his grumpy thoughts. 

“Alright ladies, who’s ready for a fitness fiesta?~” The room erupted in crazed cheers. The little Italian’s eyebrow slooowly rose. A man had entered- no- pranced into the room. He was dressed in a formfitting tank top and workout shorts that exposed a very nice amount of pleasantly tanned skin. His gorgeous look was completed by perfectly messy brunette hair and green eyes that sparkled like his smile. He was a guy of supermodel quality. And obviously the room full of women didn’t realize that he was as gay as a double rainbow. 

The instructor set a laptop on a chair and plugged it in. After a few clicks music began to blare from the speakers around the room. The women began to line up into rows, their hands clapping to the quick Latin rhythms. Not wanting to look any more stupid than he already felt, Lovi hurried to follow along. With stiff, awkward movements he clapped, marching half-heartedly to the beat. 

“Hola, everyone! For those of you who are new to my class my name is Antonio,” he called above the music. “I hope you are ready to shake your hips and dance your heart out, because I am going to make you sweat! Let’s get ready for Zumba!” 

The next few minutes were a blur of confusion. Lovino just couldn’t seem to keep rhythm like the women around him who followed Antonio’s every move with ease. When they went left, he went right. When they went right, he was spinning around. It was beyond embarrassing, so Lovi began to try less and less. By the fifth song he was basically just standing there. Despite the fact that he wasn’t even participating the instructor periodically sent a goofy smile in his direction. That only served to somehow piss him off about the situation even more. Who knew that was possible?

Halfway through class Antonio stopped for a two minute break. While the women wiped the sweat off their brows and sipped electrolyte enhanced water, Lovi slunk off to sulk against the wall and check his messages. ‘Hope you like the class!’ read a text from his brother. Lovino had to resist the all too powerful urge to throw his phone across the room and watch it shatter. 

“You are new to my class, si?”

Just by hearing the annoying (though admittedly sexy) accent Lovi knew who was bothering him. A scowl forming on his face, he didn’t even bother to look up from his phone when he sharply shot back a response.

“No shit. You haven’t seen me here before, have you? So of course I’m new.” Apparently the biting rudeness didn’t repel the Zumba instructor one bit. In fact, it seemed to only encourage him to talk more. 

“Terrific! I am always so happy to see new faces around here. I love teaching this class because it’s so much fun, don’t you think? Zumba is the greatest. You seem to be enjoying yourself a lot.”

At that Lovino just had to look up. No one could be that stupid, could they? He sneered in Antonio’s grinning face. “How much of an idiot are you? You really think that I’m enjoying myself?”  
Perhaps Antonio answering the second question with a large, carefree smile just acted as an answer to the first. “Si, you look like you are having a great time! But you do not move your hips enough; you need to move them more. This is Latin dance! There must be passion when you move. Allow me to show you.” Before Lovino could even protest he found two strong hands rested on his plush hips. “Like this, see? Back and forth-”

“AH!” Flailing his arms like he was fighting for his life, he pushed Antonio away from him. “What are you doing, fucking bastard! You can’t just touch people like that, it’s creepy and weird!” 

He gave that stupid grin again, laughing, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” The look in his eyes told a story other than being apologetic though. “Well, it’s time for class to start again. Are ready for more Zumba?”

“Are you ready for me to punch you in your stupid face if you ever ask me such an idiotic question again?”

That stupid. Damn. Grin. “I love your energy! Now just put that into the dance. Let’s get it moving, little tomato.” He jogged to the front of the room and turned on the next playlist. 

It took a few moments for him to react. “W-what!? Why a tomato?” Lovino screeched over the music. 

“Because your face looks like one when you blush!” He called back, clapping his hands to the beat. 

“I was not blushing you bastard son of a fucking-” 

“Less mouth moving and more hip moving!~” 

 

The moment class ended Lovino snatched up his phone and stomped out without a word. His face was flush, sweat causing his hair to stick to his forehead. That idiot Antonio had actually worked him out hard. Who knew that doing the cha-cha to Enrique Iglesias music could make you break such a sweat? Certainly not Lovi, and God did he hate it. Sweating was gross. He’d much rather spend his life being sedentary and nonphysical. So what if he wasn’t as attractive as his brother? So what if people, even members of his own family, gave him disgusted glances that he just knew were about his weight. So what if he hated himself, hated his body, it didn’t fucking matter! Lovino sniffed. He hadn’t even realized that he had started to cry. Getting into his car he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Great. He was a fat, sweaty, pathetically lonely crying loser. Could his day get any better? 

“Sir? Sir, are you alright?” A tap of fingers against the car window yanked Lovino away from his pity party. 

“What the hell! Why does some damn stranger care- Oh. It’s just you, bastard.” Antonio motioned for him to roll down the window. Against his better judgement he did. “What?”

“Are you okay? When I passed by it looked like you were crying. And you left so quickly after class I got concerned.” 

The Italian spat the word, “Concerned. Why the hell do you care? I’m just a piece of shit you don’t even know.”

“Don’t say something like that about yourself! I would like to get to know you, if you’d let me…” He reached through the window to gently place a hand on the other’s shoulder. Those lovely green eyes held a look of such genuine care. 

Lovino had never been looked at in such a way before. It made his heart skip a beat. Perhaps he was finally having a heart attack from all the cannoli he ate, though to his dismay he quickly realized that it was probably something much worse happening to him. 

“Get… get your damn hand off of me,” he growled half-heartedly. Antonio retracted the limb with the look of a kicked puppy across his features. Lovi sighed, averting his gaze. “You’re not going to get to know me, bastard. I don’t want to see you again, no matter how handsome you are.”

Antonio blinked, staying quiet for a moment. “You… think I’m handsome, do you? You know I think that you are pretty cute yourself.” Not only did he give his usual imbecile grin but he had the nerve to wink as well. 

“Don’t be a smartass like that, it’s fucking cruel,” Lovi snapped coldly. “I’m not cute. I’m fat and I’m gross. Now leave me alone, don’t you have a bridge to go jump off of?”

“You keep saying such terrible things! You may be a little larger than most but that doesn’t make you any less beautiful. The fire in your eyes is the brightest I’ve ever seen. Your blush is adorable and you look so soft and warm I just want to hug you and cuddle you all night long-”

“S-shut up you fucking idiot!” he barked in response. He hated how he could feel his face erupt in red. “Can’t you get it through that thick skull of yours that I don’t like you? Take a hint!”

Finally it seemed that Lovino had succeeded in bringing the Spaniard down a few notches. “Oh. I see, of course. Does that mean you won’t be coming to any more of my classes?” He stuck his bottom lip out in a childish pout. How Antonio could manage to actually pull at heartstrings with his pathetic expression was totally beyond Lovi. He was like a wide-eyed little puppy; you just couldn’t stay mad.

“Damnit, I never said that!” he yelled. “Now get out of my way before I run your ass down!” He stomped his foot to the pedal, lurching forwards a few feet. Antonio took a leap back but seemed unconcerned. 

“Does that mean I’ll see my little tomato again?”

“My name is Lovino not tomato, you jackass! Yes, you’ll see me again. So move your ass, damn you!” And with that he zoomed off, leaving his Zumba instructor smiling like a love-struck idiot in the parking lot.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm rereading these chapters before I publish them and boy oh boy do I not like how they were written. I want to update this story but I don't think I could without editing the past chapters. My other story, Cross Dressing, Cross Fire and All That Jazz in Between, has been my main writing priority. Who knows what I'll end up doing. I really appreciate people reading this story though, and I appreciate the kudos as well. The support encourages me. Please enjoy!

Thanks to Zumba classes twice a week and walks in the park on the weekend Lovino had managed to lose a little over ten pounds. Though his cheeks were still round and his belly was still rather soft there was such an overall improvement made on his health. Lovino would never admit it, but Antonio was the one who encouraged him to make it happen.

 

Antonio. It was still hard for him to believe that he had agreed to be the goofy Spaniard’s boyfriend. He guessed that there was just something about that idiot smile and how much he seemed to genuinely care about everyone that drew him in. They’d only been dating for about two months so those three special words hadn’t been exchanged yet, but begrudgingly Lovino could admit in his head that he loved his boyfriend.

 

That didn’t keep him from cussing him out though.

 

“Stupido bastardo! Why the hell would you take that?” He was enjoying a large plate of spaghetti for lunch when about half-way through the pile of noodles Antonio snatched the plate away and began putting what was left in a container.

 

“Because you don’t need to eat all of these carbs in a single meal. It’s not healthy for you.”

 

“Like I give a fuck! Give me back my pasta!” The angry Italian tried to snatch away the container being put in the fridge. Before he could manage he was tossed gently over Antonio’s shoulder (damn his strength) and brought over to sit on the couch. Antonio tried to kiss him but he turned so that his lips hit his cheek.

 

“Don’t be that way Lovi,” he whined, “I’m just trying to help you. If you eat all that salty, fatty food every day your heart will stop in your chest.”

 

“Stop being so dramatic.”

 

“Not to mention you’ll gain back all that weight you lost…”

 

Lovino grumbled at that. He knew the Zumba instructor was most likely right. “But I love pasta,” he scowled in annoyance.

 

Antonio ruffled his hair lovingly. “I know you do but you can’t eat it every day.  How about you try going a week without any pasta?”

 

_A week without pasta_. Those words sounded near blasphemous. Lovi’s blood was practically tomato sauce!  Going without his favorite food that long would be the death of him. Metaphorically, that is. Lovino was able to begrudgingly face the fact that devouring pasta that often is what would end his life, not to mention make him totally chub up again.

 

“I… guess I could do that,” he reluctantly agreed after a moment. There was a possibility he would be able to handle it. Instead he’d just eat some-

 

“Also no pizza.”

 

Then the flood of utter outrage came crashing down. “What the hell am I supposed to eat?”

 

“How about fruit and vegetables?” was the kindly offered reply. Lovino glared at the Spaniard with death in his eyes, a few steps away from slapping that stupid adorable smile from his handsome idiot face.

 

“I’m not a fucking rabbit! How about _you_ eat a box of nails?” he viciously hissed. How dare he make the ridiculous suggestion to give up both pizza _and_ pasta? It just couldn’t be done.  “I would never be able to do that and you know it.”

 

Antonio sighed, “I suppose you’re right. You don’t have much self-control. It takes a strong person to give up something they love so much for just a week.”

 

“Now you’re making sense- hey! Are you implying that I’m not strong or something?

 

“I’m not-”

 

“You are! You’re saying that I’m not strong enough to go a week without pasta and pizza!”

 

“Actually you’re the one who said-”

 

“I’ll show you, tomato bastard! I’ll go an entire week without pizza, pasta _and_ deserts. Hah!” he laughed smugly, seeming pleased with himself. On the inside Antonio was smirking but he didn’t let it show. He knew exactly how to get what he wanted from his stubborn boyfriend.

 

“Just remember Lovi, this is your choice. Don’t worry though! I’ll help you get through this week just fine.” He pulled the other onto his lap and wrapped his arms around him. There was a sly gleam in his eyes rarely seen. “And since you won’t be eating dessert for seven days I’ll give you something sweet to hold you over.”

 

It wasn’t until Lovino was picked up and carried to his bedroom that he realized what he had gotten himself into.

 

* * *

 

The first day was in an odd way the easiest. On Sundays he didn’t like going to Mass with his family (another flaw he got judged for) but he did agree to eat dinner with them in the evening. Despite the food being delicious he hated going to those meals.

 

“You’ve already had a second plate Lovino, time to stop.”

 

“I don’t think you need dessert tonight.”

 

“Maybe if you weighted a little less you’d be able to find a pretty girl to bring home sometime.”

 

The constant barrage of unwanted comments always made him sick but not sick enough to stop attacking a cutlet of veal. This Sunday would be different though Lovino promised himself as he greeted his grandfather with a hug.

 

“Lovino! Have you been working out? You’ve gotten smaller.” The pride in his nonno’s voice made him want to burst into tears. He had never received that sort of pride for anything else he had ever done. Not when he managed to graduate high school, not when he had been accepted into community college. It took losing a couple of pounds for him to get the praise he had always wanted.

 

“I started taking a class,” he mumbled, going into the kitchen. His brother was already there, stirring pasta over a stove.

 

“Fratello! Dinner will be done shortly,” Feliciano chirped. “Come give me a hug.”

 

The siblings embraced and Feli noticed the weight loss as well. “Have you continued going to Zumba?” When Lovino grumbled and stalked off he knew the answer was yes.

 

Dinner was served when everyone sat around the large dining room table. Aunts, uncles, cousins- Lovino had nearly his entire family there. Joking and laughter filled the house. No one really bothered speaking to Lovi until they decided to comment on him.

 

“What’s with you eating all that salad? Are you dieting?”

 

“You look like you’ve lost weight. You’ve been working out.”

 

“Finally, I thought you going to grow until you couldn’t move. Now maybe you’ll get a girl if you start looking like your brother-”

 

The talking came to a halt when Lovino slammed his fist into the table.

 

“I am not my brother! I am not my god damn brother!”

 

“Lovino! Sit down at once!” Nonno’s eyes flashed dangerously.

 

“No! Shut your mouth!” There was a gasp. No one spoke to the family patriarch that way. Lovino took a shaking breath.

 

“I am not my brother and I never will be. I am Lovino Vargas. I am fat. I am angry. I am my own man. And if none of you can accept that then you’re the flawed ones here, not me.” He turned and began to leave before pausing.

 

“And I don’t need to bring a girl home because I already have a boyfriend! His name is Antonio, and I would never take him to meet people as rude as you. Tch.”

 

His family sat there in stunned silence.  

* * *

 

“You’ve never been so cuddly before.” Antonio chuckled at the Italian clinging to his arm with his head nuzzled into his chest.

 

“Shut up. Don’t ruin it.” But Lovino’s voice held little spite.

 

“I just still can’t believe you confronted your family like that.”

 

“What? Is it so hard to believe that I didn’t want to take abuse any longer?”

 

“No, not that.” Antonio gently ran his fingers through the shorter man’s hair. “It’s just so brave, you know? I could have never faced my family like that.”

 

“Brave?” He could feel his cheeks flushing.

 

“Si. My little tomato is very brave and strong, too. I am so lucky to have him in my life.”

 

Lovi’s heart ached pleasantly in his chest. Love really was a strange emotion.

 

“I don’t know how much longer I can be strong. I’m really craving ravioli.”

 

“Want me to take your mind off of it?” The suggestive tone caused a bark of laughter.

 

“It seems you can’t keep your hands off of me lately.” He would have been lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the attention lavished on him. It was just something to get used to.

 

“There’s no one else in the world I would rather hold in my arms.”

 

“Antonio I l-” The words were at the tip of his tongue but why couldn’t he say them? He loved the man in front of him but something held him back. “…I like being held in your arms, even if I don’t say it often enough.”

 

There was a moment of silence.

 

“I love you too, Lovi.”

 


End file.
